1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computerized systems for athletic training. More specifically, it relates to a web-enabled computerized training system wherein training programs are generated for different aerobic athletes based on each athlete's particular current athletic capabilities and future goals.
2. Related Art
As participation in various aerobic sports has increased in recent years, the need for coaching in these sports has also increased. One-on-one coaching for each particular sport remains, perhaps, the gold standard, but such instruction and assistance is always expensive and may not be available in every area for every participant.
With respect to running in particular, individual coaching is generally limited to participants in High School or college athletic programs. As running has become an increasingly popular aerobic sport (15 million people living in the U.S. run 100 or more days a year), more and more amateur adults are entering races and seeking out coaching in one form or another to enable them to improve their performance and avoid injury.
In an attempt to provide training assistance and protocols to a larger group of participants, various training programs have been offered that use a computer to deliver a workout plan. Generalized training programs are also offered over the interne. To date, these known computerized training programs have met with limited acceptance and success. The known programs typically present a generic training plan that admits of very little in the way of individual optimization. For example, a twelve-week training program for a 10 Kilometer (K) race is presented, offering daily mileage to be run. Some versions offer different levels of the program to accommodate beginning, intermediate and advanced runners, each level offering progressively more difficult workouts. Further, some programs offer some additional customization by detailing the type of workout on each day. A few examples of different workouts would be hill training and interval training (of various kinds).
What known training programs collectively lack is any true customization based on an individual's current fitness level, athletic background and desired goals. An exercise training program that could offer such individualized training programs through a standard and known interne web browser would be highly desirable.